


Stories of the Alphabet

by Mr_DeBlob



Category: Aerois (High Rollers D&D Campaign), Yogscast "High Rollers" D&D Campaign
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Multi, Mutual Pining, Spoilers for Aerois, Tumblr Prompt, will add more tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2020-12-28 08:40:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21133859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mr_DeBlob/pseuds/Mr_DeBlob
Summary: A series of stories written according to an alphabet prompt sent by people on Tumblr! Any character, any situation, any story.





	1. M - Storms

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Dungeon_Raided. A Quillucius prompt!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Storms have never been Quill’s friend, and when one surrounds the Stormchaser, he finds little reassurance. But an unexpected visit brings him the solace he needs to get through the storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Dungeon_Raided. A Quillucius prompt!

The sight of a storm on the horizon sent the Stormchaser’s crew into a frenzy. They worked quickly to secure cargo and pull in rigging, preparing it to weather the storm.

But as all of them worked diligently to their tasks, none of them noticed as Quill quietly slunk off to his quarters. Amid all the noise and movement, he headed into his room and started with his own preparations.

He drew a curtain over the window to his room, securing it in place to make sure it wouldn’t move. After that, he gathered up all his cartography tools and maps, putting some carefully and safely away in his trunk. Then finally, he laid himself down the bed, took his pillow, and held it tightly against his body.

Ever since he boarded the Stormchaser, he had always made sure to chart it so as to avoid any adverse weather conditions, both for the ship and mainly himself. But he couldn’t predict the unexpected storms of Aerosian skies, even with his recently-gifted eye.

As he steeled himself for the storm, the sudden shudders and creaks of the Stormchaser told him that they had entered the storm. The sound of heavy rainfall and the yells of the crew began growing gradually louder as the ship struggled to make it through, and Quill curled up even tighter against the pillow with each bright flash and stroke of thunder.

He hated this side of him, the coward who couldn’t even stand the sound of rumbling thunder, let alone the sight of a storm. Whenever he got like this, he always had someone with him, usually Sentry, to keep him calm and reassured during all this. But she was outside, working to guide the ship through the storm alongside the rest of the group.

Nova, ordering the Wolfpack around to repair any damage the ship had sustained, taking her role as Chief Engineer in stride.

Aila, keeping the crew in line and pulling her own weight against the storm, using her innate connections to it to help guide them through.

Sentry, bolstering everyone’s morale and stopping to heal those who had gotten hurt in the storm, taking their place when they couldn’t go on.

And Lucius, standing at the helm overseeing all that happened on the Stormchaser, being the leader and Captain it needs. Lucius, proud and confident at the stern, standing next to Oriya at the wheel. Lucius, facing the storm head on, brave and undaunted by its fierceness.

Lucius, being the person Quill was utterly failing to be.

_ When did he become so brave? When did he become this person? Aren’t I supposed to act as the leader? That’s what everyone told me to be. So why am I not… why am I such a failure? _

At that, a great wind shifted the ship, causing Quill to hang on tight to his bed in order to not fall off. The curtain which he so diligently secured loosened from where it hung, sprawling onto the floor and exposing him to the bright flashes of lightning that brewed outside the ship. He threw the pillow tight over his head, trying to shield his eyes from the light and block out the sound of thunder. His nerves ran high, heightening his ever present fear.

Suddenly, he heard the door to his room quickly open and close. Acting on his fear, he felt himself tap into his newfound pool of magic and cast Light on his pillow, subsequently throwing it at the man who entered his room, hitting him square in the face.

“AH! BIRDIE, WHAT IS THIS?!”

Quill stared at the man, every part of him soaked from the rain. As the high elf held the pillow, the Aarakocra found himself focused on his hair clinging against his face and the way the light illuminated his features before dispelling the magical light from the pillow.

“Lucius?! What is- what are you doing here?”

“I came to check up on you. Sentry was worried about you when she didn’t see you on deck. I think she was worried you fell off, honestly. I knew better of course, but I must say,” He held up the pillow as the last of its light faded away. “I certainly wasn’t expecting to have this happen.”

Quill looked away from Lucius at that, facing the darkness that had once again overtaken his room. “Sorry about that. I’m just a bit freaked out right now to be honest.”

With a wave of his hand, Lucius cast out his Dancing Lights, chasing away the darkness. Sitting down next to him and placing down the pillow, he said, “I know that the storms unnerve you. I’ve seen you get flustered a few too many times for my liking over them.”

“Yeah… Sorry about that.”

Lucius looked surprised. “You’re sorry? What for, Birdie?”

A sudden flash of lightning painted the room in stark white, and Quill let out a scream. Immediately, he grabbed onto Lucius’ left arm, burying his face in his chest as he began his mantra of repeating Sentry’s name. All Lucius could do was wrap his arms around him, holding him gently through this wave of terror.

Slowly, Quill’s voice quieted to a whisper, and then to nothing. Only the muted sound of the storm broke the quiet that flooded the room. Gradually, the tension Quill held in disappeared in the comfort of his friend’s embrace. Lucius moved his right hand down, placing it gently on top of the claw gripping onto his arm in reassurance.

“What could you possibly be sorry for?”

Slowly, the Aarakocra began to pull back from him. In a quiet voice, he began saying, “I’m sorry that I’m not the leader you all wanted me to be. That I’ve not made the best decisions, that I haven’t helped any of you enough.” He let go and turned his head away from Lucius. “You can go and help everyone else. They probably need you more than I-”

He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence, as Lucius suddenly pulled him back in and wrapped his arms tighter across his back. Quill’s face pressed further against the high elf’s chest, his face getting warmer as his feathers absorbed the heat.

In a nervous voice, he asked,“Lucius, don’t you need to help everyone outside first? I’m sure they need your help.”

“They don’t need me, Birdie. Oriya’s working with them. You know, the _ actual _ captain with much more experience than me. I can afford to stay here.” He moved his head down so that his chin rested on top of Quill’s head, taking solace in the softness of his down feathers. “You know, you make for a great pillow.”

Brushing that comment aside, Quill objected again. “But Oriya’s not their captain, you are. You’re the one supposed to be leading them through the storm. Outside. Not just stay in here with…” He let out a sigh. “...With someone like me.”

At that, Lucius lifted his head off of Quill’s and placed his hands on top of his friend’s soldiers, turning his face to look at him directly in the eyes. On his face, Lucius wore an expression of seriousness, something he ever rarely saw during their time together.

With an unexpected intensity in his voice, Lucius asked, “Do you know what you are to me, Quill?” That question rendered the Aarakocra silent, transfixed by his friend’s unwavering eyes. It took him a few seconds to even respond.

“I… I’m your best friend, right?”

Lucius smiled, then collapsed his head right onto Quill’s shoulder as if releasing a tiredness long held in. Wrapping his arms around him once more, he began to talk in a quieter, more vulnerable voice.

“You’re not just my best friend, Quill. You’re so much more than that. I don’t know if I could’ve made it this far without you, you know? You’ve done so much for me all this time. So please, just let me do something for you now. Just this once.”

Quill took in the quiet and even breathing of Lucius besides him, comforting in its steadiness. He felt the high elf’s body radiating warmth through his rain-soaked clothes, pressed up against his feathers which soaked it in gratefully. There was nothing Quill could say at that moment. Nothing that he really needed to say at all. Quietly, he wrapped his wing around Lucius, wanting to keep every bit of love the man offered him at this moment. Forgetting the storm outside, he let himself take solace in this moment between him and the person he loved.

No matter how hard the rain fell down or how bright the lightning raged across the sky, he could endure it so long as they were together.


	2. D - Waking Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As his life falls apart, all Lucius can see is darkness. He desperately wants to wake up from his nightmare, but fears that he never can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Elennare. A prompt for Quill and Lucius and little bit of Nova.

As Lucius held the platinum-aetherium rod in his hands, he could feel them shake. Whether it was from fear or anticipation, he couldn’t tell.

Among the heavy machinery and uproar of the aetherium forges, he and the party examined the piece of metal, the tool that would bring their friend back to them. Lucius handled things like this before on those rare days when he and his father would work together on Aetherium devices in the workshop, but never before did it feel so alive.

His innate magical ability let him feel the magic in many of the things that let Gusthaven run, from the protective energy of the weather system to the transformative properties latent in Aetherium. Before, it always felt weightless and joyful, free from any worry the world could send its way. But looking down at the rod, the magic in this did not feel like it was zipping through the skies, but frantic and panicked.

_ Or maybe that’s just me_, he thought.

Quickly, he stashed it away before he could think any further about himself and the emotions he’d been keeping away from everyone else. All he could afford to focus on right now was bringing Birdie back to him… no, back to the group, so that everyone could finally be together again. 

The group gave their thanks to Mathias and the workers who’d forged the rod for them, quickly taking their leave and hurrying back to the Starsorrow Cathedral. But Lucius remained stuck in his head, wondering how everyone would act once they saw Quill back among them.

Sentry would be grateful to see him again, and Quill would certainly feel just as strongly, if not more. He wondered if the Aarakocra would notice the new upgrades she received when she finally stepped out of the Forge.

_ What am I saying? Of course he would! He notices everything that comes our way, doesn’t he? _

Nova might begin asking Quill questions about what it was like outside the Cradle, of what life on the other side was like so long as her emotions didn’t overwhelm her curiosity. She’d never miss a chance to learn more about the world around her. And Aila certainly would be grateful to hand the reins of team leader back to him as well. Though she’d taken on the responsibility, it was clear that she didn’t quite enjoy having to take care of the party as much as she had to. He knew she certainly struggled when he put that crown on.

_ That was quite idiotic of me, wasn’t it? I’m sure if Quill was there he would’ve kept me from making such a stupid decision. _

He contemplated his brief stint as a fairy princess, somewhat regretful at how much it had changed him. But he soon changed that to gratefulness that it had happened.

_ But it was _ very _ pretty! Of course I couldn’t pass up the chance to try on something like that! Plus, it helped us save Sentry faster as well. It was lucky that I took the initiative to wear it. _

_ “It helped stave off the emptiness inside, didn’t it?” _

Suddenly, a voice in the back of his mind whispered to answer his thought. A voice Lucius was all to familiar with.

_ ...I can’t possibly fathom what you mean by that. _

_ “You’re the only one who can, aren’t you? The only one that felt all of that pain and grief and anger. The one person who knew he caused it for himself.” _

Lucius swallowed at that, a hard lump growing in his throat as he continued his inner conversation.

_ I didn’t cause any of it. It was that woman’s fault, she was the one who- _

He paused.

_ The one who killed him. There was nothing that I could’ve done to… to stop it. _

_ “Don’t lie to yourself, Lucius. Lying is a very bad thing to do.” _ The voice’s tone grew harder, harsher in its words. _ “You know that you could’ve stopped her sooner if you weren’t distracted; that Quill could’ve been stronger if you hadn’t been stupid.” _

Memories of the Night Eye played back in his mind. The monster of water who strangled Quill and fragments of ice pushing in on him harder, crushing him because of Lucius’ spell. A ball of lightning he had aimed so carefully, thrown off at Quill’s cry of pain and launched uselessly into the ceiling.

He found himself whispering back out loud, his voice hoarse and his steps growing smaller as he lagged further behind the party.

“But… I tried to make up for it, didn’t I? I helped him get back on his feet when I…” 

He trailed off as he thought about that brief moment, when he pressed his lips to his beak and breathed in with desperation, trying to bring back that spark of life choked out of him by the water. Felt the relief when he saw the water spray out and the anxiety as he sat next to his small form, waiting for his eyes to open.

_ “It wasn’t enough. Whatever you try to give, it’s _ ** _never_ ** _ enough.” _

Then his mind flickered to that horrid moment, when the walls came down and he could see the small form that lay on the floor. To feathers coated in blood that seeped into the shadowed stone floor that struck his mind and pushed him into hollow rage. An arrow aimed at his best friend’s killer, the orange feather he formed in his hands that dealt the killing strike, and the empty despair that overtook him when the fight was over.

He stood still in the street, unable to move as the voice continued to pour thought after thought into his mind. Thoughts that he struggled to keep away every day he lived in this continuing nightmare of his.

_ Why am I still here? Why do I still breathe while so many of my loved ones don’t? Would Quill still want to see me? Could we even still be friends after all the times I’ve messed up? After all the times I failed him? _

_ Am I even good enough for him? _

A hand touched his arm and a small voice spoke.

“Lucius? Are you alright?”

The elf suddenly snapped out of his trance, looking down at Nova, who stared at him in concern.

“Of course! What makes you think otherwise?”

“We were walking up ahead when we noticed that you weren’t with us anymore. We’d nearly made it to the cathedral before we saw that you had gone off. It’s not like you to zone out like this, you know?”

“I’m pretty sure I’ve zoned out the most out of all of us. And you don’t need to worry about me! I just… got lost. Gusthaven is a _ very _ large place.”

Nova stared at him with tired eyes.“You’ve lived here your entire life, Lucius. I may not be the greatest at knowing when people lie, but I can at least tell when the facts don’t line up.” 

She took his arm and began pulling him along the path to the cathedral. “Look, I know that everything isn’t good right now, and that life seems to be… well, pretty shit. But we’re here for you. _ I’m _ here for you. If there’s anything you want to talk about or if there’s anything I could do to make you feel better, let me know.”

Lucius stayed silent while he followed Nova’s lead. Her reassuring grip around his arm pulsed with warmth and affection, and slowly, he could feel the darkness surrounding his mind drifting away. They were here for him, to help guide him through this nightmare he’s fallen into.

“Actually, there’s something I want to ask you. It’s probably a stupid question, but-”

Nova suddenly heeled back to face him. “No question is a stupid question! Trust me, I’ve asked a load of things in my life that could be called dumb or obvious, but if you gain a little bit of knowledge, it’s knowledge well worth taking.”

Lucius let out a heavy sigh.

“Okay then, I’ll ask you my non-stupid question.” Nova looked at him with expectant eyes. “Do you think… do you think Quill will be happy to see me? Once he comes back to us?”

At that, Nova made a small smile, one that radiated bright with joy despite its size. The words that followed it brought a relief to Lucius he hadn’t felt in a long while.

“I have a feeling he’ll be very happy to see his best friend once he wakes up, Lucius. Don’t you?”


End file.
